Stepladder



Fatenteti Nov. 13, 1923.

nane CHARLES W'. KRATHWOHL, OF CHICAGO, IIiLINOIS.

STEPLADDEB.

Application filed April 12, 1922. Serial No. 551,944.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES V. KRATH- worn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Stepladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to step-ladders and more particularly to a novel and improved means for securing the legs thereof in spaced relation and preventing spreading of the same.

In the construction of step-ladders it is the common practice to provide under eachof the steps a tie-rod which extends transversely through the legs and carries nuts and washers on its exterior threaded ends-to hold the legs in spaced relation against spreading. The objection to this arrangement is that the tie-rods soon become worn and the nuts work loose thus permitting the legs to spread and dislodge the steps from their notches in the interior faces of the legs. It is therefore the primary object of my invention to provide a novel and improved means whereby this difficulty will be overcome and the legs may be effectually held in spaced relation to each other against the steps even after long and continued use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the kind stated which will be simple in construction, convenient in application and which may be manufactured in large quantities at a very small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds. the invention comprises a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a step-ladder embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the steps showing a portion of the legs and.

the application of my fastening means; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2. Referring now specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, numeral 5 denotes the legs of a step ladder of conventional design having the usual sup-- porting props 6. The legs 5 have longitudinal slots 7 therein and the steps 8'seat in notches in the interior faces of the legs 5 and receive nails 9 in their ends driven from the outer faces of the legs. The foregoing description relates to a well known construction and no novelty is claimed to reside therein.

My fastening means for securing the legs '5 of the ladder in fixed relation against spreading will now so described. It embodies a number of long strips 10 of sheet metal, preferably of galvanized iron, which are doubled as shown in Fig. 3 and wedged in the slots .7, beneath the steps 8 in which position they are firmly fastened by means of screws, nails or other suitable fasteners 11 passing from the rear edges of the legs 5 through end apertures in strips 10 and into the stock of the legs on the other side of the slot 7 to effectually hold the legs 5 in spaced relation for preventing'the spreading thereof.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that I have provided an inexpensive and efiicient. means for securing the legs of step ladders from spreading and one wherein no nuts or bolts are present to work loose and necessitate the inconvenience of tightening. The fastening strips can be very cheaply stamped from sheet metal and doubled longitudinally on. themselves. It is not absolutely essential that the strips it) be doubled but I have found it very advantageous to form them in this way since the free longitudinal edges have a tendencyto spring outwardly and so wedge against the walls of the slot 7 and help hold the strip in position.

In accordance with the patent statutes,

the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the same within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination witha ladder having spaced. legs and steps carried by said legs;

of a series of longitudinally doubled metallie cross strips connecting said legs and having their ends 1nserted therein, sa1d metallic cross strips being resilient and the r. two

1,474,2ee V ried ill Said slot-s, said metallic cross strips being resilient and their two sides having a normal tendency to spread, and said cross strips having tranverse apertures in both ends, fastening elements carried in the longi -t-udinal edges of said legs and extending through said apertures for maintaining said cross strips in position. a

In testimony wherof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES -W. KRATHVVOHL. 

